Professional Development Tip: When it comes to information, history, or past events, do your research.

An audience base, or followers, is usually profitable for advertisers. As an entrepreneur, and working to build passive income, I am becoming more aware that a sustainable customer base is everything in business. Customers drive capitalist societies. I say that neither I nor anyone else should take anything at face value. If I take information at face value, I may get deceived, and through consistent deception, that deception may become the new standard or expected. If the information you are aware of does not match the mold of others, you may be ostracized, scrutinized, or insulted.

History is essential, and imagery is critical, but how that history and imagery are presented is equally vital. I’m speaking broadly here because I want this message to tie into commerce, culture, and civics at the minimum.

In all respects, I do my homework on any information I am given. I’m not always right and don’t know everything, so my mindset is always to be a student of knowledge. I verify what I have learned using as many credible sources as possible.

This mindset gives me peace of mind and clarity and helps me appear as an analyst. Over time people may come to me for advice. When I learn new information, I tend not to discuss that information publicly unless I happen to talk with someone that brings up the subject matter. Although this may be the wrong approach, everyone should study and become more conscientious in their daily lives. Being more aware is not only for the individual but also for the people around them.

It makes no sense to argue or debate with someone who is not aware or who is still learning. We are all still learning. For all I know, I may not be aware. The highest thing one can do is have patience and know when to walk away from a debate in love, and honor, for yourself and the receiver. Either way, not everything is what it seems. The key to conducting research in the Information Age is to investigate information diligently and act accordingly.

Lord Danavan Hylton is a relationship manager and business adviser. Danavan is the CEO of Hylton Elite Marketing Agency, a Nashville-based sales, and marketing firm that provides community relations and business development outsourcing in urban areas of Tennessee for private and public sector brands. Danavan’s work has led him to create an advisory service that provides insight, access, and resources into urban areas for business, government, and community leaders. Advising work:?https://bit.ly/lorddh_advising?l Business website:?www.e1connect.com